Robert Carey

Robert D. Carey was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, August 12, 1878. His family was prominent in Cheyenne and he and his brother shared a comfortable childhood in the very large family home. Carey was educated in Cheyenne and then completed his education in the East, finishing at Yale. After his return, he became the manager of the family business (J.M. Carey and Brother) and helped it grow by using his education and willingness to experiment. Carey's experiments with irrigation and crop adaptability led others in their search for crops suited to the rugged central Wyoming climate. He was so successful that some of his crops won blue ribbon prizes at fairs in St. Louis and Sacramento. Business success led to political aspirations and Carey was the first Wyoming Governor to be elected by vox populi (the voting public). Carey served from January 6, 1919 to January 1, 1923. Governor Carey's term of office was marked by his establishment of sound financial footing for the state and an increase in state revenue. In spite of his accomplishments he was not reelected. He was, however, elected on November 4, 1930 to complete the remainder of the Senator Francis Warren's term. Robert D. Carey died January 17, 1937.

Term as Governor: Monday, January 06, 1919 - Monday, January 01, 1923.